


a pledge of loyalty

by perfectlyrose



Series: trope bingo fills [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Bodyguard, Developing Relationship, Galra Keith (Voltron), Galra Shiro (Voltron), Galran Prince Keith (Voltron), Intrigue, Knight Shiro (Voltron), M/M, Minor Violence, Pining Shiro (Voltron), Pre-Relationship, prince x knight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 16:35:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,221
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28030272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/perfectlyrose/pseuds/perfectlyrose
Summary: Keith huffs out a small laugh, his ears twitching a little. He’s really rather pretty. “Are you any good with that sword of yours?”“Yes,” Shiro says without hesitation. Then a little waspishly, “I wasn’t sent to be your personal guard because I’m incompetent.”Keith’s smile is a bitter little thing that barely flashes a fang. “That’s exactly why you were assigned to me, Shirogane.”
Relationships: Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Series: trope bingo fills [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2053155
Comments: 10
Kudos: 164





	a pledge of loyalty

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GoldenTruth813](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoldenTruth813/gifts).



> a trope bingo fill for Janel ♥
> 
> trope: knight x royalty / i am your bodyguard i should not love you oh no

Shiro stays very still as he is inspected by his new charge, frozen in his most proper stance. He wants to make a good impression. The weight of his metal arm is noticeable in a way that it hasn’t been in years as the prince circles him.

His new charge — assuming he passes this inspection — is a minor prince. The markings on his face and the style of his cloak mark him as Marmoran. The Marmora branch of the royal family has been out of favor for at least fifteen decaphoebs. This prince was only brought to the royal court two phoebs ago.

“What is your name?” The prince asks. He has to look up to meet Shiro’s eyes, but there’s something commanding about his presence despite almost delicate features.

“Takashi Shirogane.”

“Takashi Shirogane,” the prince repeats softly. 

Shiro likes the way it sounds in his voice, appreciates that the prince pronounces it perfectly. He hails from a province far from the capitol city and it’s rare that people wrap their tongues around his name correctly. It predisposes him to like the prince even if he did circle him like he was considering his value at a livestock sale.

“I’m Keith Kogane,” the prince — Keith — says with a little upward tilt of his chin, like he’s daring Shiro to say something about it. Shiro doesn’t understand it, but perhaps the name means something to other royalty.

“It’s an honor, your highness,” Shiro says with a slight bow.

Keith makes a face. “Just call me Keith. I hate all this.” A handwave seems to encompass the entire palace and his station within it.

“As you wish,” Shiro says. He pauses before repeating his name. “Keith.”

Keith gives him an assessing look. “You don’t seem like the type Sendak would send to be a spy.”

That catches Shiro off-guard. “I’m not? Though I suppose I’d say I wasn’t a spy regardless?”

Keith huffs out a small laugh, his ears twitching a little. He’s really rather pretty. “Are you any good with that sword of yours?”

“Yes,” Shiro says without hesitation. Then a little waspishly, “I wasn’t sent to be your personal guard because I’m incompetent.”

Keith’s smile is a bitter little thing that barely flashes a fang. “That’s exactly why you were assigned to me, Shirogane.”

“Shiro,” he says before he thinks about it. “And what do you mean?”

“Well, Shiro,” Keith starts, “I mean that someone thinks that you’ll be easy to get past when they send someone to kill me. I’m guessing it’s because of the arm, but you look like you’re well able to use it in a fight.”

Shiro wonders how Keith got that just from watching him just stand there. “I can,” he admits. “And it won’t be easy to get through me.”

Keith gives him an amused look then motions for him to follow as he heads towards the door. “We’ll see soon enough.”

——

So, the thing is…. Shiro didn’t expect to  _ like _ Keith. He expected the prince to be the kind of stuck-up, spoiled royal that generally populates Zarkon’s court. But Keith is down-to-earth and snarky. He’s unexpectedly kind and a little shy. He answers all of Shiro’s questions about the different customs of the Marmoran people and blushes a very pretty purple when Shiro compliments him.

He didn’t expect to spend as much time wondering if Keith’s ears are as soft as they look or what it would taste like to kiss a smirk off his face as he does planning the prince’s protections.

It’s a problem.

The other, possibly more pressing problem, is that he’s only been guarding Keith for two phoebs and there have been four assassination attempts.

Five, if you count the one he’s currently fending off, which he really should. He lets the attacker’s sword come down on his metal arm and uses their shock to push them off balance. He thinks the assassins should really be briefed better by now.

Shiro presses the point of his sword into the attacker’s throat. “I don’t suppose you want to tell me who sent you?”

“Go to hell,” the man spits.

Shiro flicks his sword forward and slits the man’s throat.

“Getting tired of this yet?” Keith asks from the corner where Shiro pushed him when the attacker had broken in. “I sure am. If they’d let me have a damn blade I could protect myself.”

It’s not the first time he’s mentioned missing his blade. He left it at home so it wouldn’t be confiscated at court. It’s apparently an important part of a Marmoran’s identity and Shiro can see the markings of a skilled swordsman in the way Keith moves. He’s been forbidden to so much as touch a sword here.

“Trying to get rid of me, highness?” Shiro asks with an arch look.

Keith rolls his eyes, tail flicking in the way Shiro knows means amusement. “No, I just hate being useless like this. And stop calling me that.”

Shiro suppresses a smile and cleans his blade on the dead assassin's tunic. He doesn’t like killing people, but he can’t regret it if it means keeping Keith safe.

Keith wanders over and leans into Shiro’s side as he looks down at the body. “Think we can wait to report this until morning? Let them hope for a few hours that they finally killed me off.”

Early on, Keith had sat him down and explained that he was essentially a hostage for all that he was a member of the royal family. As long as he was in Zarkon’s clutches, his mother was forced to do what the Emperor wanted. And if he is killed and the Marmorans try to avenge his death, Zarkon will finally have an excuse to wipe them out.

Shiro knows there are nuances to the situation that Keith is keeping to himself, but he doesn’t mind. As long as Keith keeps letting Shiro protect him, keeps smiling at him and laughing at his bad jokes, then it will be okay.

“Best get it over with. Claim that you’re distraught from all of this and get out of that meeting with Sendak tomorrow and nap instead,” Shiro suggests. “Also, it’ll be better if you don’t sleep with a dead body in the room, probably.”

Keith makes a face at him and his tail hits Shiro in the calf.

It’s a concerted effort, as always, to keep his own tail from reaching out and twining around Keith’s.

It doesn’t matter if sometimes Shiro thinks that Keith’s gaze lingers on him, that there’s a certain look in his eye sometimes that makes him think  _ maybe _ . Keith’s not his to have. Even if he wasn’t Shiro’s charge, his duty, he’s a  _ prince _ and Shiro is nothing but a knight with no particular distinction and common roots.

He’s Keith’s only friend here.

It’s fine. He knows his role. Falling in love with the Marmoran prince was absolutely unexpected, but Shiro will keep his feelings tucked away, channel them all into protecting Keith until he’s actually  _ safe _ and away from here. Seeing him leave might break Shiro’s heart, but it will be worth it.

Until then, Takashi Shirogane will outwardly continue pledging his sword and his loyalty to His Highness Keith Kogane, and Shiro will continue secretly pledging his heart to Keith.

**Author's Note:**

> [find me on twitter!](https://twitter.com/LionessNapping%22)


End file.
